Hand graphic symbol marking device

ABSTRACT

A device for stamping a graphic symbol on a surface which consists of a transparent base plate. A flat cantilever leaf spring is secured at one of its ends to the base plate and carries a stamping die at its other end. The spring has but one degree of flexibility, in a direction at right angles to the base of the base plate and overlies the base plate. The base plate is provided with an opening through which the stamping die can pass to produce its stamping action and is also provided on its bottom surface with perpendicular guide lines which are directed to intersect at the center of such opening. The base plate is thinner above said guide line than at other of its portions so as to minimize optical distortion of the guide lines as observed through the transparent base.

United States Patent Cohen 1 Sept. 4, 1973 [54] HAND GRAPHIC SYMBOLMARKING 3,336,678 8/1967 Chamberlain et al. 33/189 DEVICE [76] Inventor:Philip Cohen, 19 Spaulding Ln., pmfwry ii i a" f Newton Mass. 02159Assistant xammer-- oven Attorney-Russell & Nlelds [22] Filed: Apr. 7,1971 21 Appl. No.: 132,054 [571 ABSTRACT A device for stamping a graphicsymbol on a surface which consists of a transparent base plate. A flatcanti- [g%] {15.31. 101/368, 33/189 lever leaf Spring is secured at oneofits ends to the base plate and carries a at other end. The 1 1e 0Search 101/368 spring has but one degree of flexibility, in a direction101/292 33/1845 1846 189 at right angles to the base of the base plateand overlies the base plate. The base plate is provided with an open-[56] References C'ted ing through which the stamping die can pass toproduce UNITED STATES PATENTS its stamping action and is also providedon its bottom 1,249,417 12/1917 Kennedy et al 101/368 Surface withperpendicular guide lines which are di- 2,839,993 6/1958 Onhwin 101/368rected to intersect at the center of such opening. The 3,403,623 10/1968Blackwood 101/368 base plate is thinner above said guide line than atother Si 6 2 3 of its portions so as to minimize optical distortion ofthe ea 2,936,704 5/l960 Heme 101/368 X guide lines as observed throughthe transparent base.

798,686 Lodge 101/368 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEBSEP 4 ms3.756153 #vvmvroe PHILIP COHEN ATTORNEYS 1 HAND GRAPHIC SYMBOL MARKINGDEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Handoperated stamping device for producing graphic symbols.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the making of a chart bearing arepeated graphic symbol and in otherareas where one or more graphicsymbols repeatedly occur on a surface, it is highly desirable to have asimple and inexpensive device by which such a symbol may be rapidly andrepeatedly stamped on such surface and in each instance accuratelydirected at the exact point at which it is desired to have such symboloccur. Prior art devices which have attempted to solve this problem havebeen relatively complex, expensive, difficult to orient perfectly, orotherwise have left much to be desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention overcomes the limitations of theprior art by being constructed of a base member having a bottom surfaceand having a cantilever spring arm secured to its upper surface; thespring arm carrying a stamping die at its outer end. The cantileverspring has substantially only one degree of flexibility in a directionat right angles to the bottom surface of the base memher so that thestamping die is guided accurately through an opening provided in thebase member to its desired stamping position. The base member isprovided with perpendicular guide lines on its bottom surface and istransparent at such location so that the guide line may be observedthrough it. Also the base member is thinner at such location to minimizeoptical distortion in such observation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective viewof an embodiment of the invention with its two component parts shownseparated for purposes of clarity.

FIG. 2 is an inverted view of the face of the stamping element of FIG.1, showing one form of graphic symbol which may be used; and

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged face views of similar stamping elementsshowing additional examples of graphic symbols which may be used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1, the marking deviceconsists of two basic elements, a transparent base plate 1, preferablymade of a transparent plastic and a stamping member 2. The stampingmember consists of a support block 3, from which extends a cantileverspring arm 4, the outer end of which carries a stamping head 5, thelower face of which bears a graphic symbol 6. This graphic symbol whichin FIG. 2 is in the form of a circle, projects from the face of the head5 so that it forms a stamping die. The die is made of a relatively firmporous material, such as a fine grained plastic or sponge rubber and isimpregnated with printing ink' so that a large number of the symbol 6may be stamped before it becomes necessary to replenish the ink. Thespring arm 4 is a flat leaf made of a spring material, such as a hard,resilient plastic or a sheet of spring metal. It is relatively thin sothat it possesses flexibility in a direction at right angles to thesurface of the die 6 but is sufficiently wide so that it possessessubstantially no flexibility transverse to such direction.

The stampingmember 2, inthe assembled device, is cemented or otherwisesecurely fastened to the base plate lsPreferably it is accuratelylocated on the base plate by means ofa pin 7 which projects fromthelower face of support block 3, fitting into a corresponding hole 8 inthe base plate. In such assembled device, the stamping head overlies andprojects into an opening 9 extending through the base plate 1. Thedevice is so dimensioned that,in its normal upper position, the face ofthe die 6 is spaced such a short distance from the plane of the bottomof base plate 1, as compared to the length of the arm 4 that, when thehead 5 is depressed to produce a stamping stroke, the face of the diemoves substantially in a direction at right angles to the plate of thebottom of plate 1 giving a very accurate stamping impression on thesurface on which the base plate 1 is adopted to be placed. Although theopening 9 is illustrated as conforming in shape to the head 5, theouterdimensions of the head are less than the dimensions of the opening9 so that a clearance is maintained between head 5 and opening 9. Thisopening 9 does not serve to guide the die 6 into its stamping function,such guidance being afforded by the flexibility characteristics of thespring arm 4 as described above. Therefore,

the base plate 1 may be made with relatively wide tolerance for theopening 9 which simplifies the manufacture of base plate 1.

As shown, the bottom of base plate 1 is flat and is adapted to be placedin firm contact with a flat member, such as a chart or graph, to bestamped. In order to be sure that the stamped symbol is located exactlyat the desired spot, the bottom surface of the base plate 1 is providedwith perpendicular guide lines 10 and 11 arranged so that theirextensions across the opening 9 would intersect exactly at the center ofthe stamping die 6 as it contacts the member to be stamped. The linesare intended to be aligned with guide lines or other indicia ordinarilyfound on graphs and the like so that, not only is the stamped signalplaced at the correct spot, but also, in the case of symbols whichshould be oriented in a particular manner, such orientation is readilyproduced.

In order to provide sufficient rigidity to hold the stamping memberfirmly in place and to provide sufficient thickness so that the devicemay be readily grasped and manipulated by the fingers of the operator ofthe device, the rear portion 12 of the base plate 1 is made of asubstantial thickness, for example on the order of one-eighth of aninch. However, in order to minimize any optical distortion of thelocation of the guide lines 10 and 11 as viewed by the operator throughthe base plate 1, the portion 13 of the base plate which overlies thelines 10 and 11 is made substantially thinner than the portion 12, andmay be, for example, about one-half the thickness of 12.

In use, the operator places the base plate 1 on the surface to bestamped and observes the guide lines 10 and 11. Since they are actuallylocated, at the time, in contact with such surface and since there isvirtually no optical distortion of their position, the operator is ableto manipulate the base plate into exactly its desired po sltion toproduce the desired location and orientation of the graphic symbolstamped on such surface. Thereupon the operator depresses the stampinghead 5 to produce the desired stamping impression.

Preferably the device is quite small, and in a typical embodiment thebase plate may be about l and k inches wide and 2 inches long and havethe thickness mentioned above. Thus, it is extremely light in weight andeasily carried and manipulated.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show stamping dies 6a, 6b and 6c respectively as across, a square and a transistor symbol which are examples of the manytypes of graphic symbols in which the stamping die may be formed.

It is to be understood that, changes in the above details may be madewithin the scope of the appended claims. For example, instead of thebottom of the base plate being flat, it could be curved or otherwiseconfigured to conform to the shape of the surface upon which thestamping is to occur. Also the stamping die might be made of a hardmetal to produce its stamping impression through carbon paper or itmight be heated to heat-stamp through a plastic film coated with a heattransferable pigment. Various other changes will suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A graphic symbol marking device for marking on a linear coordinatesurface member comprising:

a. a base member having a bottom surface adapted to be placed on thesurface to be marked;

b. a stamping head supporting structure comprising a rigid membermounted on the upper surface of a first portion of said base member, anda substantially flat spring arm secured at one end to said rigid memberand overlying and spaced from said upper surface.

c. a stamping head secured to said spring arm at a point removed fromsaid end and being provided with a symbol stamping die on its lowerside;

d. said spring arm having substantially only one degree of flexibilityin a direction at right angles to said bottom surface of said basemember and being adapted to be moved manually in said direction wherebysaid die is also adapted to be moved in said direction;

e. said base member being provided with an opening in a second portionof said base member, said opening being disposed in the path of travelof said die, whereby said die is adapted to be moved through saidopening to substantially the plane of said bottom surface;

f. said second portion of said base being transparent and provided onits bottom surface with two guide lines oriented so that if extendedthey would intersect substantially at the center of said die as it movesinto said plane of said bottom surface of said base member.

2. A device as in claim 1 in which substantially all of said secondportion of said base member is substantially thinner than said firstportion of said base memher.

3. A device as in claim 1 in which the stamping die is comprised of aplastic material impregnated with printing ink.

1. A graphic symbol marking device for marking on a linear coordinatesurface member comprising: a. a base member having a bottom surfaceadapted to be placed on the surface to be marked; b. a stamping headsupporting structure comprising a rigid member mounted on the uppersurface of a first portion of said base member, and a substantially flatspring arm secured at one end to said rigid member and overlying andspaced from said upper surface. c. a stamping head secured to saidspring arm at a point removed from said end and being provided with asymbol stamping die on its lower side; d. said spring arm havingsubstantially only one degree of flexibility in a direction at rightangles to said bottom surface of said base member and being adapted tobe moved manually in said direction whereby said die is also adapted tobe moved in said direction; e. said base member being provided with anopening in a second portion of said base member, said opening beingdisposed in the path of travel of said die, whereby said die is adaptedto be moved through said opening to substantially the plane of saidbottom surface; f. said second portion of said base being transparentand provided on its bottom surface with two guide lines oriented so thatif extended they would intersect substantially at the center of said dieas it moves into said plane of said bottom surface of said base member.2. A device as in claim 1 in which substantially all of said secondportion of said base member is substantially thinner than said firstportion of said base member.
 3. A device as in claim 1 in which thestamping die is comprised of a plastic material impregnated withprinting ink.